THE MAGIC BAG

This story comes from India.

A long time ago, there was a small, weak kingdom in Northern India that bordered on a very powerful one. The king of this land was worried about what to do if one day the big kingdom attacked. So he shared his concern with his ministers.

It so happened that in a faraway city there was a powerful guru who knew many wonderful magic tricks. The king’s Astrologer suggested they ask this wise man for some magic. The king decided to go, and he brought with him four cabinet ministers, the astrologer, and the queen. The trip took many days by horseback.

The guru welcomed them. He was very kind and gave the king a magic bag, telling the King, “Keep this bag with you. Any time you are faced with danger, open it and you will see a piece of paper giving you instructions.”

The king thanked the wise man, and the group went home. But during the long journey home, they became lost in the jungle. After several days of wandering aimlessly, the astrologer reminded the king of the magic bag.

The king opened the bag and withdrew the piece of paper. The instructions said that the ministers should stand at the four corners of a rectangle, the queen in the center, and the astrologer and the king on each end. And in a chorus they should recite, “I become a tiger.”

Suddenly the whole group became a tiger. They were no longer afraid of starving, because the tiger could catch any small animal to eat. But they couldn’t recover their human form. They lost their human consciousness, and forgot about finding a solution for the kingdom.

That is exactly the case of the Obama Administration. The stimulus bill, bailout packages, and other programs - healthcare, energy cap-and-trade, etcetera – are the magic bag. The rationale is that this will save the American economy, but once put into place these programs will consume individual finances and freedom. The Government becomes the tiger; the small animals it feeds upon are the individual citizenry - you and I.

Socialism has no human conscience; individual freedom of choice is subordinate to the government’s priorities. Once implemented, it is nearly impossible to remove. It is unfortunate for America that Mr. Obama does not know the lesson of the Magic Bag.

WATCH THIS BEFORE THEY TAKE IT OFF THE WEB ! ! !

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Will Nicole Kidman work with Arjun?

We know that our cool Rampal boy has become Mr.Popular post Rock On, but c’mon, we can’t believe that he’s actually more sought-after than Hollywood superstar, Nicole Kidman. But tell you what guys....this is damn true (More true than the SRK- Aamir patch up, huh!).

Apparently when Arjun was shooting the much talked about advertisement in Udaipur with Nicole, the locals there were far more interested in meeting Rampal than Ms. Kidman. Obviously our desis are much more into locals stars, and hardly that familiar with Hollywood stars. Also, in the pure, good-looks area, our gorgeous Rampal scores no less than Tom Cruise, na?

We heard that Arjun needed as much security as Nicole because of his huge fan following, so much that even the gori chori was quite amused. Now let’s hope that Nicole is so impressed that she’ll want to work with our rockstar again. This time it could be on her side of the world. Hollywood, of course! A mega-scale musical would make a perfect plot for our Rock On star and the Moulin Rouge beauty. Wotsay, quite an idea, eh?


courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Bachchan parivar to grace Pink Panther red carpet

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan who stars in Pink Panther will be gracing the red carpet for the premiere of the flick with hubby Abhishek and in-laws, Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan.

A source close to Bachchans says, “Amitabh, Abhishek and Aishwarya have had busy schedules. Pink Panther’s première is an occasion for the senior Bachchans to be with Aishwarya in happier times and to show their love and support as parents. Due to Aishwarya’s Pink Panther shooting schedule at Boston and Abhishek’s Dostana schedule, the family was unable to spend quality time together. Now the Bachchans are eagerly looking forward to the trip as their family will be together in New York.”

However the Bachchan parivaar still did not confirm the news.

Our question is - Is Amar Singh also tagging along with you guys?


courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

I'm comfortable in army quarters: Anushka Sharma (Interview)

Mumbai, Jan 2 (IANS) She has been catapulted to star status with her debut in 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi'. But Anushka Sharma says she is a simple girl just like her character in the movie and has no plans to move into a plush home as she is enjoying her stay in the army quarters here.


'I kept coming to Mumbai for modelling assignments. I decided to move into Mumbai a year ago with my mom, since my dad is posted out. I haven't bought my place. Right now I'm very comfortable in the army quarters. I don't feel the need to move from where I am,' Anushka told IANS.


The actress, who has signed one more film with Yash Raj Films, says she was lucky to be brought up in Bangalore.


'Otherwise army officers, who give their lives for the country, could be posted anywhere in the back of beyond. That gets really tough on their kids. Me and my brother (who used to be a state-level cricketer) got the best of education in Bangalore,' said Anushka.


Directed by Aditya Chopra, the romance drama starring Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka hit bull's eye at the box office and the collections are going strong even after three weeks.


Ask her how she managed to be so natural in her first film, Anushka said: 'All the while I was modelling in Bangalore, maybe there was an actor lurking within me. I'm crazy about my modelling work. I love the ramp and the backstage banter. I moved to Mumbai a year ago. Movies were not a priority. I don't come from a film background, don't know how the industry works. I didn't know anyone here.'

She didn't have to make a strenuous effort to act.


'Even modelling is a kind of performance. On the ramp you are representing a concept. In a film, you're projecting an individual. But the transition wasn't hard for me. Because in real life I'm as simple as the girl I play in 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi'. Yes, I do like to dress up and walk the ramp. But that isn't the real me.'


The newcomer is receiving compliments from all and sundry, but says the best came from Yash Chopra himself.


'He came up to me and said mine was one of the best performances he had seen by a debutante. He placed his hand on my head while saying this. So he was blessing me,' said Anushka.


Unlike other Yash Raj Films heroines, she was not presented with the poised finesse and sophistication associated with the banner.


The newcomer defends the banner, saying: 'You're right. Even when actresses are presented as seedhi-saadhi (girl next door) in a Yash Raj film, they are glamorous. And coming from a glamour background I wouldn't have minded being glossy in my first film. But you know what?


'This was such a huge opportunity. I couldn't have asked for more. I fell in love with my character and the film. It's a dream role for any debutante. I can always get into a chiffon sari in the next Yash Raj movie. Or the one after that....'


Although 'Rab Ne...' is Anushka's first film, she wasn't over-instructed for her role.


'Adi never told me what to do beyond a point. In fact, he gave me the liberty to interpret my character the way I wanted after making me read the lines. Imagine a newcomer getting so much freedom in her first film!


'I must have given Ravi Chandran (director of photography) so much grief. I knew nothing about camera angles. I didn't even understand focus marks. Shah Rukh was doing that for me. Adi and Shah Rukh made things so comfortable for me. These things matter a lot when you're starting out.'


Commenting on her co-star, Anushka says she was always a huge Shah Rukh fan.


'My dad is in the army and when they would've these functions in the mess, I'd dance to Shah Rukh's 'Kitabe bahut si padhi hogi' from 'Baazigar'. I must've been three at that time.


'I wasn't just Shah Rukh's fan. I'm his big admirer. I always loved the way he conducted himself. Now after having worked with him, I love him even more. 'Rab Ne...' was like my school where Shah Rukh and Adi were my teachers.'



courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Shahid Kapur to act opposite Anushka

The ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ leading lady Anushka Sharma is back with a bang. News is doing the rounds that she has been cast opposite Shahid Kapur. It will be a Yash Raj product and will be directed by one time actor Parmeet Sethi. Comedian Veer Das and Indian Idol contestant and host Meiyang Chang will also be seen in an important role.

Parmeet had a talk with Aditya Chopra and he had given green signal. When asked, Parmeet said, “It’s true that I am planning to make this film but I will speak in depth when I get a go-ahead from the production house (Yash Raj).”

Rafiq of Yash Raj film informed, “Yes, Aditya Chopra has given Parmeet’s film a go-ahead, in fact it’s the only film which was approved by Aditya while he was busy with Rab Ne’s shoot. Shahid and Anushka will be a part of this film.”

Anushka has won the hearts of the millions through her role in RNBDJ and let’s see how much she will be able to impress the audience with her next film.



courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Minissha adopts Boman Irani as her dad

Minissha Lamnba has completed shooting for her Shyam Benegal flick Abba Kaun? in Hyderabad and enjoyed the whole experience with her on-screen Abba - Boman Irani whom she insists that she has adopted.

She says, “Literally I adopted Boman as my father while we were off the sets. I would call him Abba all the time and he too would call me by the name of the character I play.

The bond between the father and the daughter would be played out post pack up every evening, so much so that when something had to be done, I would take permission from Abba.

It was one of the most unique relationships I’ve had with any co-star to date. The moment I wouldn’t find Boman around, I’d be looking for him. That’s how the rapport was.”


courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Kajol in new different avatar

Kajol is an all time audience favorite whether it’s a 5-year-old or a 50-year-old. She has always lived up to our expectations.

This chubby mummy has undergone a complete makeover in the recent press event for shiksha (educating a girl child).

The actress was never as thin as a size zero. But she obviously slacked off on the diet and exercises after she wed Ajay Devgan in 1999 and started her family.

Kabhi Khushi Khabhi Gham was her first hit in which she played an older character. She was obviously heavier.

In the role. Understandably, as Kajol then had young baby Nysa to take care of, leaving her little time to herself. But now, as Nysa has grown up, the actress is back to her slender self for the film My Name Is Khan.

As with all of Karan Johar’s films, an actress has to look her best. Kajol followed the trend and lost all that baby weight, her arms and legs are toned and she’s even got back that flat tummy of hers back. Since she shed those extra pounds we can also see a marked improvement in her dress sense. Kajol now looks absolutely stunning.

About her lost of weight we spoke to Kajol’s close source, “For My Name is Khan, she is reducing weight which is very difficult for her to do but she has done it and its very good to see her in that new thin look.” In My Name is Khan she plays an NRI woman and as per the look of her character, she has to look thin. Hence she had to give up her body weight and start with a special diet.


courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Bips gives up late night parties for John

Bong bombshell Bipasha Basu is known to set the dance floor on fire on reel and real. She is a party lover and enjoys late night parties. But the sultry actress has decided to bid good bye to late night parties and discos for boyfriend John Abraham as he doesn’t like her partying late night.

Talking about attending discos, Bips says, "I used to go to late night parties and clubs earlier but now I don't have time for all that. In fact John didn't like it. He used to accompany me every time I went to such parties. Not just that he even used to keep a watch on me while I was on the dance floor. In fact when you are on the floor, there are lots of people who just try to come close to dance with even if you don't want. Quite often they misbehave. It's a place where people drink and dance. So there are possibilities of such things which may annoy you."

"If somebody came closer to me, John used to immediately come down on the floor and become a kind of protective wall for me. He used to be shielding me every time anything of this kind happened. I enjoyed my parties for a while but later on I realised that John didn't like it. So I stopped doing that. Since than it has been a long time that I went for any dance party," added Bipasha.

It’s good to see Bips acting according to boyfriend’s wish.



courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

SEAN LINNANE’s 3 RULES of LEADERSHIP

Over the years I developed this; twenty-five years of serving with some of the greatest soldiers ever walked the face of the Earth, refined, filtered and distilled down to three simple Rules. Meditate upon them.

RULE # 1: NEVER LIE TO THE TROOPS.
Joe Snuffy can smell a lie a mile off. Once you’ve lied to your men, you are no longer the leader; you’re just the guy standing out in front of the formation.

RULE# 2: NEVER TELL A MAN TO DO SOMETHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DO YOURSELF.
Show your team you are willing and able to do every job on the team, no matter how low-down, dirty or dangerous.

RULE# 3: NEVER GIVE AN ORDER YOU KNOW WILL NOT BE OBEYED.
Find logical, common-sense options out of by-the-book dilemmas; otherwise you will only set yourself up for ridicule and failure.

John To Do Anurag Kashyap’s Next

Even after giving a box office flop No Smoking, actor John Abraham and director Anurag Kashyap once again set to work together. The film is named as Bombay Velvet, which is a thriller. Anurag says that today he realized that what had gone wrong with the previous films and now with Bombay Velvet he wants to try something new.

Kashyap said, “I’ve never handled this kind of budget before. I want to be sure of the script. After No Smoking, John and I want to make sure our film is accessible to the audience. Today, I realize where I had gone wrong in my earlier cinema. I’m working on my weak points. I tend to get repetitive. So I’ve brought in two writers in Bombay Velvet who criticized me the most for No Smoking.”

Talking about the film, he added, “John is the lead in my next film Bombay Velvet where he plays a real life hero of the masses from the 1960s. It’s a thriller based on real incidents. It’s an idea that we developed over the last four years by several minds including the history professor Gyan Prakash.”

TV 18 will produce the film. The film also stars prominent actors like Kay Kay Menon and Naseeruddin Shah. Director Anurag Kashyap also has plan with another film titled Doga, which is inspired from the comics popular in northern India. It will be an action film and actor Kunal Kapoor will play a lead in it. Kashyap’s latest directorial venture was Dev D starring Abhay Deol, which was a hit.

Talking about his personal life, Kashyap added, “I’ve mellowed. I’m not angry any more. I guess it’s age. And I’ve found a sense of belonging.”

Kashyap is dating Kalki Koechlin, who played one of the female leads of Dev D.

“I’m very happy in my relationship with Kalki. She has brought great stability to my life,” added the director.



courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Ken Ghosh throws out Jiah

Jiah Khan was the first choice for Ken Ghosh’s ‘Yahoo’. Everything was going fine with the actress and the director until there was a fall out. Gradually their relationship turned sour and Ken threw Jiah out of his film. The ‘Nishabd’ actress failed to impress Ken in the trial round and the prime reason was said to be Jiah’s behavior that caused irritation to Ken who most of the time seen laughing at the debacle of his last film, ‘Fida’.

Jiah was always heard throwing tantrums and making unusual demands and used to turn up late on the set. With so many drawbacks, Ken finally decided to drop Jiah and go with his second choice, Genelia D'Souza. He even offered the role to Katrina Kaif and Kangana Ranaut but they refused.

This is not the first time that Jiah Khan has offended any actors and directors. Earlier too she apparently upset Aamir Khan and Shahid Kapur.

Before it is too late and Jiah is shown the exit door, she should learn how to mingle with her co-stars.



courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Jiah Khan’s Upcoming Movies with UTV

Jiah Khan, one of the latest discoveries of the Indian film Industry, has inked a deal with UTV for two of their upcoming films. UTV which has always believed in nurturing talent has complete confidence on Jiah Khan and her potential.

UTV Motion Pictures also clarified on industry rumors about Jiah Khan being dropped from Ken Gosh’s next film with UTV. Nupur Asthana (Screen play) & Kiran Kotriyal (Dialogue writer) who were earlier working on the story, were joined by Manurishi Chadda, the filmfare winner dialogue of Oye Lucky Lucky Oye. After coupling with Manurishi there were certain creative changes that were made in the film script, further to which Jiah Khan and UTV mutually agreed that the role scripted did not befit Jiah.

“With the changes they made on the script and the character, I myself felt that I do not suit the character. However, my relationship with UTV remains the same and they have signed me for two of their future films to be started later this year” Jiah Khan

“Speculations in the industry about Jiah Khan being dropped out of Ken Ghosh’s project are completely erroneous. It was a mutual decision whereby Jiah opted out of the project seeing a misfit between the character and Jiah. Jiah Khan is a wonderful actor with some amazing talent. We have signed Jiah for our next projects and really looking forward to working with her.” Ram Mirchandani- COO- UTVRampage Motion Pictures -


courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Sonam Kapoor No Longer a Desi Girl!

Sonam Kapoor who played a homely desi girl in her last two films Saawariya and Delhi 6, Sonam Kapoor is now all set to go hep’n happening in her dad Anil Kapoor’s home production ‘Ayesha’.
Anil Kapoor had already produced Gandhi My Father and had planned this film specially and exclusively for his daughter. He has roped in writer Devika Bhagat to write the narrative of ‘Ayesha’, which is based on Jane Austen’s famous novel ‘Emma’. Sonam gets to play desi Emma, one who is young, witty and rich. Devika has earlier penned the story of Bachna Ae Haseeno.




courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Sonam, Deepika’s cat-fight continues

They claim to be friends but they are not. Sonam Kapoor and Deepika Padukone refuse to pose together for Vogue magazine. When they were approached to shoot together, they politely declined the offer and claimed for individual shoot.

A source tells all, "Deepika and Sonam haven't been shot together, and the magazine thinktank thought it's be a great idea to get the Saawariya and the Om Shanti Om girls in the same frame. Not just because they made their debuts at the same time, but also because they were of the same age, and are friends, as well as rivals.

The idea was to get the girls into a mock cat fight. They were asked to wear a shirt, denims and jacket and get into a fight over a boy's t-shirts. The visuals had to show them as two tom boyish girls fighting over a boy's clothes."

This is not the end, Sonam even refused to share the same platform with Deepika at the recently held Filmfare awards when she was asked to host with Deepika. Finally, Konkana joined Deepika.

However, when contacted Sonam denied the entire incident and said, "It's not true".


courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Aamir sneak peep into Big B’s new look

New things always excite Aamir and if it is something innovative regarding his professional then he never misses the opportunity to experience it and adopt it. Similar kind of situation arose last Saturday when Mr Bachchan was shooting for Balki’s 'Pa' and when Aamir Khan dropped on the set to catch a glimpse of the new look of Amitabh which is yet to be revealed in the media.

Aamir on landing at the Film City where the shooting of Balki's (R. Balakrishnan's) Paa was in progress was guided to Bachchan’s van where make-up artist Stephen Dupuis was working on Big B’s new and refreshing look.

Aamir has been the luckiest person to get a glimpse of Big B’s look while others like Sanjay Dutt and Ranbir Kapoor walked away without witnessing his never-seen-before look.

Here director Balki seemed to be little worried about the new look being leaked out; he is taking all precautions to prevent this from happening. Expressing his views on this, Balki, who worked with Amitabh in Cheeni Kum, says, “We don't allow a single visitor, not even close relatives or friends of crew members on the set. Phones, of course, are a complete no-no. The next thing you know the look will be splashed on the Net. Aamir, of course, couldn't be turned down. But yes, we did swear him to complete secrecy almost like a Boy Scout's cross-your-heart kind of pledge.” So Aamir Khan also has been sworn into secrecy.

Balki's Pa also stars Abhishek Bachchan and Vidya Balan.



courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Shahrukh speaks on naming his dog Aamir

In the recent past, Shahrukh Khan and Aamir Khan have fought on various issues. First they clash on number game then they took up Aamir naming his dog as Shahrukh another reason of brawl. Surprisingly, the doggy story does not end here, Shahrukh Khan further stretched the issue by expressing his feeling to name his dog as Aamir and to which his wife Gauri turned furious.

SRK gushed, "Gauri gets upset when I crack jokes about naming my dog Aamir. She thinks why should I bring myself down by doing or saying such things? I understand that she doesn't want me to lose my dignity, but sometimes I think it is absolutely necessary as people ask for it."

Shahrukh made an elaboration, "Aamir had said it was a joke that his dog was named after me... and I said if it was a matter of [a] sense of humor, then my joke would have been that I also wanted to name my pets after Aamir, but my pets vehemently refused. My wife said people don't understand your jokes, so please refrain from doing so... though I felt it was quite funny but I didn't say it at that time. Nobody said anything about stooping low, etc. Stooping low would be a height joke."

On number game, SRK replied, "I will confront Aamir and ask him why he said such a thing. I accept a lot of things, but I think this is not funny. When I say I am number one, I definitely don't mean it in arrogance. I say it with a sense of humor and a sense of humility. But I guess it will take a lot for Aamir to understand that."



courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Deepika beats Angelina Jolie

Bollywood dusky beauty Deepika Padukone beats Hollywood star Angelina Jolie in terms of looks. 'The Fast and the Furious' director Rob Cohen acclaimed Deepika more beautiful than Angelina.

"Deepika Padukone is gorgeous and is more beautiful than Angelina Jolie," Cohen said. Cohen the man behind 'The Witches of Eastwick' and 'The Fast and the Furious', 'Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story' indirectly indicated to cast Deepika in his next project as he is highly impressed with Indian beauty.

No sooner Deepika Padukone stepped into Bollywood, she became the hot favorite of the filmmakers and advertisers. She had been the brand ambassador of international brands like Maybelline and Levi's.

She even carries the credit of being the most searched women on net, pushing behind Bollywood hotties like Katrina Kaif, Aishwarya Rai and Kareena Kapoor.


courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

SNAKE EATERS

“Snake Eaters” is a military slang term for Army Special Force (a.k.a. “Green Berets”), and YES we DO eat snakes. This is part of our survival training, although I have slayed and eaten snake in the field to supplement the rations, and because basically, snake tastes good.

I have encountered snakes (and eaten them) throughout my career. I have eaten cobra in Thailand (and drank the blood mixed with Mekhong whiskey), Eastern Diamondback in Mississippi and copperhead North Carolina. For what it’s worth, I prefer rattlesnake; tastes like chicken.

Back in '99 I did a six-month stint in the Ivory Coast. The base we stayed in – Camp Akuedo – was adjacent to the city dump; the place was overridden with vermin. Vultures, kites and ravens patrolled the skies. I didn’t have a solid bowel movement the whole time I was there, and every day we either killed a cobra, some kind of evil viper, or one of these lobster-sized scorpions that infested our Company area.

Well, we had this Warrant Officer Eric Red (best damn Warrant I ever worked with and one of the bravest men alive). For this deployment he was the Company XO, and he lived in the Company Supply room. The word around camp was he kept a mamba and a mongoose in there with him. Because he visited the Embassy a couple of times a week, Chief Red operated a check cashing service out of the supply room; he’d have us go in and stand in front of this desk he’d made out of MRE cartons, it was just like the old-time pay call.

One day I asked him, “So what’s this about a mongoose and a mamba, Chief?”

“Oh, I kicked the mongoose out. The damn thing moved his family in, and they kept me up all night with their fighting and scurrying about.”

“Uh-huh. So, uh, what about the mamba?”

“I kept the mamba – it keeps the Africans out.”

“But . . . it’s a MAMBA, Chief!”

“Yeah, but it’s only a GREEN mamba,” he shrugged.

Whenever I went in there to cash a check I always looked over my shoulder for the mamba.

A reader who does the 3d World Bush Tour quite a bit asked me for info on what to do in the event of a snake bite. This opened a can of worms, to coin a phrase . . .

As far as first aid goes, I refer to Army Field Manuel 21-76 SURVIVAL (which I helped write).

The advice from the SAS Survival Handbook, Vol I – Outdoor Survival by John ‘Lofty’ Wiseman (HarperCollins Publishers, London 1996), stresses avoidance:

Snakes have excellent camouflage, only movement gives them away. In snake-infested areas you will pass many every day without ever noticing them.
The chances of being bitten are small and all but the worst cases recover. In Malaysia, more people are killed each year by falling coconuts and in India rat-bites produce many more cases for hospitalization!
A bite from a poisonous snake should always be taken seriously, but there are degrees of severity. When biting in self-defence, many snakes inject only a little venom, occasionally none at all. If the snake is out of condition or has recently bitten something else, its venom may not be fully potent and there may only be a little in its venom sacs. Clothing or shoes may have deflected the full force of the bite. In many poisonous snakes the dose of venom needed to kill a man far exceed the amount that can be injected in one bite.

Funny thing is, I’ve always worried about falling coconuts. Seriously. Never knew they were THAT deadly; I just always had a sort of feeling. Just goes to show . . .

OBAMA, BIBI, AND THE SOUK: HOW NOT TO NEGOTIATE

Most of the world operates on the barter system, thus most people understand the mechanics of negotiation strategy. In America, other than buying a car, the majority of people (especially the upper middle-class) have limited experience in bargaining. As a consequence, much of our foreign policy negotiations seem to have more basis in altruism than realpolitik.

One would think Mr. Obama has never bargained with a rug merchant before, yet in his dealings with House Republicans over the stimulus bill he showed that he knows how to play hardball. With the Iranians, however, its been more like T-ball.

To advance their nuclear program, the Iranians have been playing for time. Mr. Obama opened his presidency by conceding them more. Now he is conceding the principle that Iran’s nuclear program can somehow be tied to Israeli concessions on West Bank settlements.

What we have gained by these opening gambits is less than clear. If you were seeking a successful conclusion to any endeavor, the very last thing you would want to tie it to is an Israeli-Palestinian peace accord. Since we are on a timeline, it is simply the kiss of death.

I'm beginning to think Mr. Obama is Iran's most skillful negotiator - experienced rug merchants that they are, they just don't have anybody in their corner near as good. And this after Iran's supreme spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected Obama's "hand of friendship" out of hand. If Tony Blair was George Bush's lapdog, then Barack Obama is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's puppy.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu shares none of these delusions. He understands quid pro quo, and isn't giving anything away. He is trying to keep the focus on Iran and off the Palestinians, and he is not willing to bargain with the security of the state of Israel as part of any deal with Iran. He knows that making any concessions at this point is only a sign of weakness that will encourage the enemy to stall for more time, break agreements, and circumvent sanctions. If Mr. Obama does not take care, Iran will likely enter the club of nuclear powers as a member with full voting rights. Mr. Obama, by tightening the noose on Israel, you have only encouraged Iran, Hamas, Syria and all the other agents of terror to proceed... nice move... don't forget your umbrella on the way out.

We Americans have such a desire for peace that we are often prepared to offer unconditional concessions in order to gain it. We expect that if, in the spirit of good faith, we make a concession, then, in the same spirit, the opposition will accept our terms. They might even throw in a concession on their part. In the Middle East, these illusions can be very costly. When you visit the nuclear souk, Mr. Obama, you had best come prepared to drive some tough bargains.

NORKORCOM NUCLEAR TEST

The question has been posed - "Is there a military option?"

There is always a military option. The question is not "Is there a military option?" Rather, the question is "Can we afford the price?"

Unfortunately, the primo window of opportunity to have launched an attack would have been BEFORE 9/11.

The fact remains we could still launch an attack on North Korea, although our resources are stretched mighty thin. Options include anything from commando raids - which are difficult to plan & coordinate - to air strikes, to full scale conventional military invasion - up to and including missile attacks.

Planning considerations must include the fact that the North Korean military is a fanatic organization that makes the Waffen SS look like Boy Scouts. They will fight to the bloody end. To complicate matters, the entire country is in hardcore defensive posture (beaucoup anti-aircraft artillery, anti-helicopter cables strung between mountains, minefields galore, and beach defenses a la Atlantic Wall).

And what do we get out of it? Heavy casualties, and another country we have to feed and take care of. Not to mention the fact that any American soldier who has spent time in Korea will tell you the true reason we are there is not to keep the North Koreans from coming South - rather it is to keep the SOUTH Koreans from going NORTH.

Of course, the threat of nuclear proliferation must be addressed, as with the Iran dilemma. To complicate matters, North Korea is backstopped by the world's most populated nation: the Peoples Republic of China. It suits Red China that North Korea pokes a stick in our collective eye socket; this is payback for us supporting Taiwan all these years.

I work with a Korean who is US Army retired. Whenever Kim Jong Il pulls one of his outrageous stunts, her comment is "Oh, they just want more rice."

Unfortunately, with North Korea a combination of containment and carrot & stick is probably our most workable policy. Likewise Cuba. The sad thing is, it is the ordinary people of those countries who suffer terribly, at the hands of their Communist overlords.

HONOR THEM

When I was young I read about the Trojan war; I studied Homer's writings for clues about such traits of personality or character possessed by the ancient heroes. I studied the Old Testament Book of Judges. Fascinated, I watched the film To Hell And Back; the story of Audie Murphy, Medal of Honor recipient and most decorated soldier of World War II.

I am not a hero but I have served in the company of heroes. More and more it seems nowadays we are living in an era of heroes.

In the latest conflict there have been heroes, as there have been in any and all wars of the past, mostly anonymous. Just recently I learned of a friend's stepfather's funeral at Arlington. A company commander in World War II, he fought with Patton; in a near ambush he was wounded by Germans three times on the same day, then returned to serve with his men on the front lines. For this heroism he received a single Purple Heart medal. He went on to serve his country in other capacities, working out of embassies in Africa and Southeast Asia. I didn't know it at the time, but while I was escorting his daughter to high school dances, this man was a prisoner of the Pathet Lao Communists. If I could have made it to Arlington that day, I would have worn my dress blues to honor of this hero.

Three names immediately come to mind:

Captain Chesley N. Sullenberger, the nerves-of-steel pilot of US Airways Flight 1549 who safely his disabled aircraft in the East River and saved his entire compliment of passengers and crew from certain death.

Captain Richard Phillips of the MV Maersk-Alabama, who put himself in harms way, offering himself as hostage to the Somali pirates in exchange for the safety of his crew.

Colonel, US Army (Retired) Rick Rescorla. Born and raised in England, join the British military at age sixteen and fought against Communists in Cyprus and Rhodesia, then came to America, enlisted in the US Army and went to Vietnam with the 7th Cavalry - Custer's old outfit - and fought in the legendary Battle of Ia Drang. On Sept. 11th 2001, Rick Rescorla was vice-president in charge of security at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter. His office was on the forty-fourth floor of the south tower of the World Trade Center. The firm occupied twenty-two floors in the South Tower. After the plane hit his building, the Port Authority told him not to evacuate and to order people to stay at their desks.

Instead, Rescorla ensured that every one of his firm's employees was safely evacuated, then took some of his security men back INTO the burning building to make a final sweep, to make sure no one was left behind, injured, or lost. Rick did not make it out. Neither did two of his security officers who were at his side, but only three other Morgan Stanley employees died when their building was obliterated. In this final act of heroism, Rick Rescorla saved the lives of over 2600 employees of Dean Whitter.

Of course, there are the 4900+ men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice in the subsequent campaigns of the Global War on Terror.

Some 640,000+ gave all in the wars of the 20th Century: 25 Somalia (including 18 in the Battle of Mogadishu); 113 Gulf War I; 24 Operation JUST CAUSE Panama; 240+ Lebanon peacekeeping operations; 19 Operation URGENT FURY Grenada; 13 Operation POWER PACK Dominican Republic; 58,000+ Vietnam; 36,500+ Korea (latest casualty US Army CWO David Hilemon in 1994); 416,800+ World War II; 116,708+ World War I; 4100+ the Philippine War; 2900+ Spanish-American War;

Some 675,000+ Americans who died in the wars preceding: (including 620,000+ KIA or died of wounds and disease in the Civil War; 13,200+ Mexican War; 700+ Texas War of Independence; 17,000+ War of 1812; 24,000+ American Revolution).

The numbers listed above do not include Americans killed in politically-motivated terrorist acts, to include the 18 American servicemen & civilians killed during my time in the Philippines 1988-1989.

They are all heroes. We must honor them.

HEROES

Profiles of Valor: 10th Special Forces Group

On 10 September 2007, a team of three Army Green Berets led by Capt. Matthew A. Chaney, along with nine Iraqi police, began an assault from two helicopters near Samarra, Iraq. The team was targeting Abu Obaeideah, a leader of the Islamic State of Iraq in the area. The field designated for landing was covered with water, so the helicopters had to land closer to the insurgents' safe house, where they came under heavy enemy fire.

Practically blinded by dust from the second helicopter, the Iraqis were all but taken out of the fight from the start, so Chaney, Sgt. 1st Class Michael D. Lindsay and Staff Sgt. Jarion Halbisengibbs led a charge against the building where the hostile fire was originating. Halbisengibbs threw in a fragmentation grenade, killing two, and the soldiers rushed in. Lindsay was hit in the throat by an AK-47 round, and Chaney took a hit to the pelvis. Then both were thrown from the doorway by a grenade blast. Lindsay, who couldn't raise his rifle, fired at the enemy with his pistol. Chaney couldn't feel his legs, but he kept firing, killing a jihadi.

Halbisengibbs "continued to clear the structure in complete darkness as his night vision goggles and personal radio were all destroyed by enemy gunfire at point blank range," the official narrative read. He was shot in the thumb and knocked down by a grenade blast but continued fighting, killing another terrorist. As he moved back to the courtyard to protect his wounded comrades, Halbisengibbs was shot through the abdomen but managed to kill another jihadi on his way to the ground. He then directed the Iraqi police to finish the fight. Obaeideah was killed, along with 12 other insurgents, six by Halbisengibbs.

All three Green Berets have recovered from their injuries. Chaney and Lindsay were each awarded the Silver Star; Halbisengibbs received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Army's second highest combat medal.

A READER ASKS . . .

Q: What is the mission of your blog?

A: The intent of Blog Stormbringer is to stimulate thought, to explore history and philosophy with a military approach, and to sometimes launch a bit of humor . . . I especially enjoy the history of Ancient Greece and Rome, and drawing parallels to our modern experience, hence the submissions Caligula’s Horse and View From Within the Phalanx.

I have visited Greece and Rome several times, and other locations throughout these ancient empires and what is known as the "Holy Land". In high school I studied Latin under a very impressionable Italian woman whom to this day I am convinced was a secret admirer of Benito Mussolini.

Q: Did you develop a charter for your blogs, is it just observations, or a journal?

A: In the early stages of the Global War on Terror I used to get involved in heavy email political discussions / arguments; over time this became tiresome and since the ’08 election it is simply redundant. After firing funny jokes and other material his way, Theo Spark over at Last of the Few suggested I get into blogging. There are still some technical hiccups I am working out, and Theo is providing guidance. I might lighten up on politics and concentrate more on history, philosophy and military themes. The crude humor stays; I hope we never get to the point where we cannot laugh, especially at ourselves.

Q: What is the origin of the name Stormbringer?

A: One of my favorite bands is Deep Purple, of course, and one of their great songs is Stormbringer - inspired by the science fiction / fantasy novels of Michael Moorcock. A good friend who is also a reader introduced me to these books a long, long time ago. Whenever I went to the desert I always named my GunVee “Stormbringer” - I’m not really into the swords & fantasy genre, I just like the sound of that name; STORMBRINGER. It's got a ring to it like some kind of heroic Viking saga. That’s my GunVee in the photo across the top of the blog.

Q: Who IS Sean Linnane - the man behind the pseudonym?

I am not a hero, but I have served with heroes . . .

For legitimate reasons involving my current employment, I use the pseudonym Sean Linnane - for the same rationale I studiously AVOID commenting on certain subjects. It is probable that I will reveal my identity at some future point; the situation is dependent on my work. There are some issues I will never discuss, of course; unlike some, I take the non-disclosure statements I signed seriously.

One thing about me is that I am not politically correct. Another thing about myself: I am a practitioner of a mystical desert sect which happens to be the most persecuted religion on Earth; that is, I am a Christian. But I don't discriminate: when I was in Jerusalem, in '86, I visited the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, up on the Temple Mount, on a Friday. There I was, wearing the robes and surrounded by Arabs at prayer, contemplating on how this place was the site of the original Temple, and also served as the first headquarters of the Knights Templar. On Saturday I attended services at the Great Synagogue on King George Street, and on Sunday I went to St. George's, the Anglican Cathedral (which looks like a Crusader fortress, complete with Crusader flag flying over it) in East Jerusalem, because I am an Anglican. Personally, I don't see any contradiction in this; like the Arabs say, "We are People of the Book".

Q: What am I the reader, to take away from reading it?

A: Philosophy is the study of concepts such as existence, justice, knowledge, truth, beauty, mind, and language. The original Greek meaning of the word is "love of wisdom". Individual character development is essential to our society, if we are to prevail over the destructive forces that are not only out there on the far-flung fringes of the Empire, as it were, but also within the gates. Stormbringer is about education, information, and thought-provoking opinion, based on the experiences of my life and the extraordinary people I've encountered along the way.

A theme I wish to explore is Leadership, which I define as Planning, Decision-Making and Risk Management. Immediately after I retired from active duty, I found there was a great thirst in the business world for the kind of management and organizational skills that are formally taught in military leadership schools. Encouraged by a friend who is also a sort of mentor, I wrote a series of articles on the subject and developed Military Leadership Applications for Small Business Owners & Mid-Level Managers, which I’ve already presented at seminars. I presented Murphy’s Laws of Combat last week as introductory background material for my readership, in the Leadership department. There will be more material like this forthcoming.

Kangana gives up for Priyanka

In the tinselville, we rarely find actresses share a cordial relationship with each other. Profession always overtakes friendship. But in the world of cat-fights we got to witness an interesting friendship. It is the brewing friendship between Kangana Ranaut and Priyanka Chopra. Kangana gives up her choice for her one time rival Priyanka Chopra. It is said that at the grand finale of Femina Miss India, Kangana Ranaut was to groove on the Fashion songs in which she shared screen space with Priyanka Chopra but when the sultry actress came to know that Priyanka was also interested to perform on the same number, she gave up her desire.

Now Kangana will perform on the hit numbers of Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai. "When I got to know that Priyanka is performing I asked her about her songs. When she said she was doing the Fashion songs, I happily decided to do the tribute to Aishwarya and Madhuri," said Kangana.

"I'll be dancing to songs like Madhuri's 'Mera piya ghar aaya' and Aishwarya's 'Nimbooda'. This gives me a chance to try out my Kathak which I've been learning for three years," she added.

To get the steps right, Kangana has been rehearsing rigorously and it has swollen her legs.


courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Abhi and family cheered up Ash

Aishwarya Bachchan performed at NDTV's unveiling of "The Seven Wonders of India" in the capital on Monday and the entire Bachchan family was present to cheer up Ash as she performed on some traditional numbers. Dressed in the traditional attire, Aishwarya Bachchan looked absolutely stunning and she performed with the dance troupe of ace choreographer Shiamak Davar.

Ash performed for nearly an hour to a medley of popular Bollywood number showcasing Indian culture, heritage and music. Apart from the Bachchans, the event was also graced by Aishwarya’s parents and celebrities like actor Kamal Haasan, fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Maharaja of Mewar Arvind Singh, Ustaad Amjad Ali Khan, politician Amar Singh and artists Paresh Maity and Satish Gujral.

NDTV’s popular figure Vikram Chandra and Abhigyan Prakash hosted the event and welcomed Ash by describing her as “another Indian wonder” apart from the seven wonders of India which include Jaisalmer Fort, the ancient Nalanda University, Red Fort, Konark Sun temple, Dholavira, Khajuraho, and the Meenakshi Temple. Also, two religious wonders — the Tawang monastery and the Golden Temple.



courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Ash-Abhi follows Saif-Bebo

After Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor, it is now Abhishek and Aishwarya Bachchan who will be seen in the role of a spy in super-slick espionage film called ‘Crooked’. After wrapping Mani Ratnam’s ‘Ravaan’, the couple will kick start the shooting of ‘Crooked’. By stepping into the similar roles of Saif and Bebo who are playing spies in Sriram Raghavan’s ‘Agent Vinod’, Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan became follower of the trend set by Saif and Kareena.

Producer Ritesh Sidhwani said, “Our slick espionage thriller will be in the same genre as The Bourne Identity. It will be shot in Greece, Istanbul, Thailand and India.”

Apart from Ash and Abhi, ‘Crooked’ stars Gul Panag, Jimmy Sheirgil and Boman Irani. Director Abhinay Deo is in the wrapping up process of Aamir Khan’s productions ‘Delhi Belly’ with Imran Khan and Shernaz Treasuryvala and will start working on ‘Crooked’ shortly.



courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

What’s The Nationality Of Freida Pinto?

Freida Pinto who has taken Hollywood by storm with the success of Slumdog Millionaire is wooing every corner of the world.

Recently she appeared in few Spanish magazines and eventually become a rage in Spain. Now her Spanish fans found her very much Spanish and not ready to believe that she is Indian. The dusky beauty with dark hair and petite frame is taken as Spanish by mistake.



courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

The success of Slumdog Millionaire is working wonders to the Indian belle Freida Pinto. Soon after the Oscars she was signed by renowned director Woody Allen for a Hollywood film. Now there is news that she has grabbed another Hollywood assignment.

The actress is currently in Israel for the shoot of a film named Miral being directed by American director Julian Schnabel. The film will show interwoven lives of Israeli and Palestinian women from the early years of the state through the early 1990s.

The whole shoot of the film will take place in Israel and it will start from next month. The screenplay is adopted from a book by Palestinian-Italian writer Rula Jebreal.



courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Salman in Asin’s bedroom

After proposing Asin in front of the Eiffel tower on reel, Salman Khan is slowly and steadily making an entry into Asin’s heart. Rumor mill is churning that something serious is cooking between Salman Khan and his ‘London Dreams’ co-star Asin. The duo is sharing a sizzling chemistry not only off-screen but in real also they are bonding quite well.

The ‘Ghajini’ gal is so much impressed with Sallu that she has covered the walls of her bedroom with the photos and posters of the 43 year old star. However, days back it was also reported that Salman has gifted Asin a flat in Mumbai so that she can have her base in South Mumbai and smoothly carry on her work from Mumbai.

Now, this bit of news is sure to give a big shock to Katrina Kaif.


courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Asin reveals the secret about Salman

South sensation Asin has made it clear that she and Salman Khan are not romantically linked up and they are bonded only professionally. While walking the ramp for Lakme fashion week, Asin divulges that she and Salman share a tremendous professional relationship and they are not into any sort of love relationship. Asin insisted, “I am working with Salman in a film. Nothing more or nothing less than that.”

Responding to the gossip that she decorated her bedroom with Salman’s posters and snaps; Asin said, “No one has access to my room.”
Asin the currently sensation of Bollywood has been surrounded with rumors of link-up with 43 years old when her camaraderie with Sallu on the set of Vipul Shah’s ‘London Dreams’ was seen bit higher.

Now that the bubbly actress has cleared up everything, this piece of clarification may bring some relief to Katrina Kaif.


courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Ken Ghosh prefers Genelia over Jiah

It's high time for Nishabd girl Jiah Khan to wake up and smell the coffee, if she wants to continue in Bollywod.

According to reports, the actress has been replaced by Jaane Tu... girl Genelia D'Souza in Ken Ghosh's Yahoo.

A source informs that Ken Ghosh decided to sign Jiah while shooting for Ghajini, thinking that she will have star value after the film's release.

His hunch was right, the film worked well at the box-office, but he was in for disappointment when he saw the trial rushes of Yahoo.

Presumably, Ken didn't like Jiah's work in the trial rushes of the film and he decided to drop her. He also offered the film to Katrina and Kangna, but they weren't interested. Finally, it is Genelia D'Souza who has been finalised for the role.

However, rumour mill suggests otherwise. Apparently, Ken Ghosh and Jiah Khan got friendly on the sets of the film Yahoo and the differences began to crop up after 60 per cent of the film was shot. Taking the friendship with Ken for granted, Jiah started turning up late on the sets. She also threw tantrums and made unusual demands.

Ghosh reached his saturation point when Jiah openly laughed at the debacle of his last film Fida. Jiah has apparently managed to upset Aamir Khan and Shahid Kapur on previous occasions. Oh Jiah, that's some attitude from a new kid on the block!


courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Genelia wants to see John's bare body

Sweetie Genelia D’Souza who has made many guys fall weak at her knees with her performance in 'Jaane Tu Yaa Jaane Naa' is back with a bang again. The pretty face has many films in her kitty but she is more excited to work with Bollywood hunk, John Abraham in ‘Hook Ya Crook’. The actress is smitten by John’s charm and dynamic body. Genelia says, "John is so hot. I would love to see him taking his shirt off again. I used to like him since the time he came for our fete long ago."

There are many who die over John’s hot and sexy body. In Dostana by posing in bare body and yellow shorts, he has made girls head over heels in love and now adding to his fan list is the beautiful, Genelia. Other than John, Genelia is sharing screen space with Fardeen Khan and Harman Baweja in ‘It`s My Life’ and ‘Life Partner’ respectively.

Genelia does not regret being stereotype, she said, I`m an actor who should perform whenever I get the opportunity. So if I`m getting roles that see me as a college going girl who is independent and youthful, I don’t mind that.”

Hope, John listens to Genelia’s heart and takes off his shirt in ‘Hook Ya Crook’.



courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Anushka Sharma loses out `Arundhati` remake

Telugu hit 'Arundhati' is all set to be remade into Hindi and the makers wanted to cast Anushka Sharma in the title role. But the 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' heroine couldn`t be finalised for it because of some misconceptions.

"They needed someone strong, robust, young and determined and very north Indian as the lead in Hindi. They really wanted Anushka Sharma. She was perfect. But the producer was under the impression that she`s under contract with Yash Raj Films and unable to do any outside film," said a source close to the film.

"Now they might settle for the actress who played the lead in the Telugu `Arundhati` in Hindi. Coincidentally, her name too is Anushka," the source added.

Many producers, including Madhu Mantena, who produced "Ghajini", were vying for the Hindi remake rights. But Telugu producer M Shyam Prasad Reddy is finally making it it in Hindi.

Sonu Sood, who played the main antagonist in the Telugu version and is set to encore the same part in Hindi, confirms these developments.

"I`m excited because we all worked very hard on making the Telugu original something special. Lots of producers wanted to remake it in Hindi. But now the original producer has decided to go for it. The Hindi `Arundhati` will be far more expensive and polished. We start shooting in June," said Sonu whose last Hindi relase was 'Ek Vivaah... Aisa Bhi'.

Sood has already started preparing for the part and said: "The Hindi version will have to be severely revised."

Priyadarshan was approached to direct "Arundhati" in Hindi but apparently he wasn`t ready to accept the offer at such short notice.

"And the original director Kodi Ramkrishna can`t understand Hindi. So we`re probably going with a guy named Rahul who did all the special effects in Tamil," said Sonu.

Arjan Bajwa of 'Fashion' fame, who played the romantic lead in 'Arundhati', is not part of the Hindi remake.

Said Arjan, "They haven`t asked me. Even if they had, I wouldn`t do it. Have you seen what has been done to my role in the Telugu film?"


courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Vidya Balan refuses to smooch Arshad

Vidya Balan, the actress who shared an intimate scene with her co-stars Saif Ali Khan in ‘Parineeta’ and even lip-locked Madhavan in ‘Guru’ refused to kiss Arshad Warsi in ‘Ishqiya’

A source from the unit reveals, "Ishqiya was being shot on Wednesday at the Borivili National Park. Several scenes were to be canned, including one smooch scene between Vidya and Arshad. The actress threw a spanner in the works and completely refused to a liplock with Arshad. Director Abhishek Chaubey was taken aback as he had informed Vidya about the kissing scene beforehand."

The source continues, "Balan has intimate scenes with Arshad in the film but her refusal to smooch shocked everyone. Producer Vishal Bhardwaj was called to the sets. He couldn't make it as he was busy editing his other project, Kaminey. She was persistent. The director was forced to drop it altogether."

As Vidya was co-operative throughout the shoot, Vishal is sure that sooner or later, Vidya will agree to do the lip-locking.


courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Aamir asks Sallu to give up drinking

Media may have reported long tale of Salman Khan and Aamir Khan’s rivalry but the truth is that the two Khans still possess a heart of benevolence for one another. Their liking came into the picture when as per Aamir’s suggestion, Salman decided to give up drinking. Aamir and Salman very often meet over dinner at Salman’s place and during conversation, Mr Perfectionist suggested Sallu to give up smoking till he completes shooting for ‘Veer’ as he is not looking fit at all.

A source informed, “He patiently explained the perils of alcoholism to him and told him that he had to take control of his habit before the habit took control of him. He also suggested a revised workout for Salman.” Sallu who is almost addicted to alcoholism followed his dearest friend’s advice and did not drink for quite long.

A source close to Salman said, “It’s true that Salman has given up drinking because he wants to be slim and trim in Veer. The film has a lot of scenes that require Salman to be bare-chested. Therefore he had to build muscle tone.”

Salim Khan said, “Salman is off drinks at the moment. But I can’t comment on whether Salman followed Aamir’s suggestion or not. Salman and Aamir are good friends and that is between them. I choose not to be a part of it.”


courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Aamir ends war with Shahrukh

If the recent statement of Mr. Perfectionist is to be believed that we can draw the conclusion that the war of words between the two Khans of Bollywood has finally come to an end and they have joined hands. Aamir Khan who turned 44 this birthday sounds quite lenient towards his enemy. On a friendship note, Aamir wished Shahrukh a successful life ahead.

"I want to tell Shahrukh that I love him and respect him a lot and I wish that he leads a successful life and that all his films are hits," said Aamir. But Aamir again sounds diplomatic in his statement; on one hand, he wished SRK success while on the other, he said that he has stopped following success. "I want to follow excellence and not success anymore. If you follow excellence then success will come after you."

Aamir who indirectly claim to be number one has now changed his version, he said” I’m not interested in competing with anyone. I don’t play the number game nor do I want the crown for myself. I just like to do good work."

On listening to Aamir’s latest verdict, we wonder whether it’s an end of the war or beginning of a new battle.

Here lies a big confusion.

courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Bebo lip-locks with Akki

Whether it is flaunting her sexy body in bikini or lip-locking her co-star, Kareena Kapoor never shows any inhibition in portraying the needful in spite of being hailed from the renowned Kapoor Khandan or on the way to become the distinguished ‘Pataudi’ begum. She does every cozy scene with ease and with pride. After lip-locking Shahid in ‘Jab We Met’, Bebo is all set to smooch Akshay Kumar in ‘Kambakkth Ishq’.

At first Kareena was bit reluctant to kiss Akki, not that she dislikes the idea of getting intimate with him but due to Akshay’s seniority. She knows him from very early days when she was just a kid. Akshay has been her sister Karisma’s co-stars and when she accompanied Karisma on the set, Akki used to treat her like a kid and now when she has to kiss him, she is feeling little awkward. After some hurdle, Kareena convinced and she went through. The scene pulled off very well and it was quite passionate.

Infact, Chotte Nawab has no objection about his lady-love kissing her co-star as he knows that it all happens in their profession.


courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Sallu has no problem working with SRK

Audience most favorite, Salman Khan is returning with a bang on the reality show, ‘Dus Ka Dum’. As the show is about to kick-start, many questions have been put up to Salman about his comeback. Sallu being a humorous person replied every question very amusingly. The expected celebrity guests on the show are Kareena and Karisma Kapoor and Sony is also in talk with Mallika Sherawat. Last season, Salman had Aamir on the show, will this season we can expect his rival Shahrukh Khan?

Sallu miya was bit tricky in his reply, “If Sony brings him then he is more than welcome. Agar woh aa gaye toh who khush naseeb hai. If Shahrukh and Sony both wants to do an episode together then I don’t have a problem with it. It’s not a big deal.” But he also added, “Even if I did (have a problem with Khan), I wouldn’t discuss it publicly.”

Salman and Shahrukh were not in talking terms ever since they fought on Katrina’s



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I don't have as much money as SRK, Big B

Amitabh Bachchan is a cricket buff but owning a cricket team is not within his range, according to Big B. Amitabh says that he cannot own a cricket team as he doesn’t have money as much money as Shahrukh Khan, the owner of Kolkata Knight Riders.

"I don't have as much money as Shah Rukh. He has money and so he owns a team," Amitabh said. He is a cricket crazy and have watched almost all the games of IPL. On receiving Padmashri, he sent an congratulatory SMS to Mahendra Singh Dhoni but got no reply. But he did not feel bad as he does not share any ill feeling with cricketers. "He must have been busy, there's no need to make an issue out of this."

Big B and Shahrukh do not share a good rapport. In various occasions, they have thrown tantrums on one another.




courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

TRUE WARRIORS

Look carefully at the B-17 (below) and note how heavily damaged it is - one engine dead, tail, horizontal stabilizer and nose all shot up. It was ready to fall out of the sky. (This is a painting done by an artist from the description of both pilots many years later.) Then realize there is a German ME-109 fighter flying next to it. A family friend - A World War II vet out of England - sent me this story. I think you'll be surprised . . . . . . If anybody has any more detailed information about these aircraft, the date of their mission, target, etcetera, please add comments below.

B-17 ‘Ye Old Pub’

Charlie Brown was a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot with the 379th Bomber Group at Kimbolton, England. His B-17 was called 'Ye Old Pub' and was in a terrible state, having been hit by flak and fighters. The compass was damaged and they were flying deeper over enemy territory instead of heading home to Kimbolton.

After flying the B-17 over an enemy airfield, a German pilot named Franz Stigler was ordered to take off and shoot down the B-17. When he got near the B-17, he could not believe his eyes. In his words, he 'had never seen a plane in such a bad state'. The tail and rear section was severely damaged, and the tail gunner wounded. The top gunner was all over the top of the fuselage. The nose was smashed and there were holes everywhere.

Despite having ammunition, Franz flew to the side of the B-17 and looked at Charlie Brown, the pilot. Brown was scared and struggling to control his damaged and blood-stained plane.

BF-109 pilot Franz Stigler and B-17 pilot Charlie Brown

Aware that they had no idea where they were going, Franz waved at Charlie to turn 180 degrees. Franz escorted and guided the stricken plane to, and slightly over, the North Sea towards England. He then saluted Charlie Brown and turned away, back to Europe. When Franz landed he told the CO that the plane had been shot down over the sea, and never told the truth to anybody. Charlie Brown and the remains of his crew told all at their briefing, but were ordered never to talk about it.

More than 40 years later, Charlie Brown wanted to find the Luftwaffe pilot who saved the crew. After years of research, Franz was found. He had never talked about the incident, not even at post-war reunions.

They met in the USA at a 379th Bomber Group reunion, together with 25 people who are alive now - all because Franz never fired his guns that day.

When asked why he didn’t shoot them down, Stigler later said, “I didn’t have the heart to finish those brave men. I flew beside them for a long time. They were trying desperately to get home and I was going to let them do that. I could not have shot at them. It would have been the same as shooting at a man in a parachute.”

Both men died in 2008.

Karan Johar trapped in legal hassle

Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions has been trapped in a legal hassle for failing to pay hundreds of local actors and vendors for a movie which they have filmed in the state last autumn. Dharma Productions and its partner Swish Films of Melbourne hired nearly 25 of the vendors for the film but did not paid them the decided amount.

The lawsuit seeks in excess of $150,000 for filming ‘Jihaad’ or ‘KP-15” starring Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor and for not paying the vendors the said amount as they have shot a particular scene.

The lawsuit also says that Drama Production would not be able to take the footage that has been shot in US if they do not clear the pay.

According to reports, Dharma Productions has paid some workers half the money that they have settled and to some workers they have paid the full amount.


courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Asin fumes over media

Asin the current sensation of Bollywood denies the rumor of Salman Khan gifting her house in Mumbai to carry out her work smoothly. Ever since she starred with Salman Khan in ‘London Dreams’, rumors tortured her and her life became a hell.

She is sick and tired of clarifying the wrong allegation against her. It has also been reported that Salman Khan cut ties with Katrina Kaif for his brewing relationship with Asin. This time around, she is miffed over media for spreading the wrong news of Salman gifting a house to her.

Refuting all rumors, Asin claim that she is still living in the same house which she has purchased after moving to Mumbai and from here she has carried out and completed the shooting of ‘Ghajini’.


courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Adhyayan dumps Kangana, dating Shahana

Another relationship in B-Town has gone kaput. Adhyayan Suman breaks up with Kangana Ranaut. Their relationship turned sour due to Adhyayan’s proximity with Shahana Goswami and Kangana’s growing closeness with Barbara Mori’s brother Kintaro.

Shahana is Adhyayan’s love interest in ‘Jashn’ and the film brought the couple nearer to one another. After the shooting, the duo hangs around and spends quality time with each other. Buzz is that Shahaha once got warming from Mahesh Bhatt as she moves around the set uselessly when she has no scene to perform and distracts Adhayayan’s concentration.

About his growing closeness with Shahana, Adhyayan says, "Shahana and I are extremely close. We are buddies. This link-up is bound to happen since she is my co-star."

However, he avoids the question when asked what’s wrong between him and his first love. He let it pass by saying ‘It is too personal to comment.”



courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Bebo to cut her hair

Kareena Kapoor after cutting her size to zero is all set to cut her hair. Her new hairdo is for Karan Johar’s movie ‘Stepmom’. Her role requires a short hair and Bebo is going to fulfill the requisites of the film. Kareena who never compromises with her look will chop her tresses for the film.

If in ‘Tashan’, she cut her size to zero and sports bikini then for ‘Mr and Mrs Khanna, she has put on some extra weight. ‘Stepmom’ is a remake of a Hollywood movie which also stars Kajol. Kareena and Kajol once shared screen space in ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham’. What new look Kajol is going to adopt is not yet known.

But Kareena is really excited and looking forward to see herself in a new avatar.



courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com

Ash-Abhi not leaving Jaya-Amitabh

Rumor is doing the rounds that Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan are moving out of their family home Jasla in Juhu and will be staying at their new abode Naivedya in Bandra. The speculation was however declined by the junior Bachchan and his wife.

Ash and Abhi laughed at the rumor that they are planning to shift to their own house after performing grihapravesh soon after completing the shooting of Mani Ratnam’s ‘Ravan’. “I’m clueless about its origin,” Ash said frivolously. “It’s strange how people jump to conclusions. Once when I visited my father in hospital, the buzz was that I was going for a check-up to the maternity ward! Abhishek and I are at home in Jalsa.”

It is true that Ash and Abhi are getting their new house build up in Carter Road, Bandra but whether they really planning to move out of Jalsa is not yet confirmed. Ever since they got married, Ash and Abhi has been staying together with the Bachchans.

The construction of their new house is almost over but time will tell whether they are moving out in reality or not.


courtesy : Bollywoodmantra.com